TSA Delays Plans to Allow Pocket Knives on U.S. Flights

April 23 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Transportation Security
Administration delayed implementing a decision to let
passengers bring pocket knives on airliners, according to an
internal e-mail sent to agency employees yesterday.

TSA Administrator John Pistole said in the e-mail the
agency wanted to further consult with the airline industry
before making the change, according to a person familiar with
its contents who asked not to be identified speaking about the
matter without authorization.

The proposed policy change, announced in March, was
designed to align U.S. rules with those in Europe and better
reflect intelligence on active terrorist threats, the agency
said. Instead, the plan provoked protests from flight
attendants, air marshals, executives of the largest airlines and
the union representing airport screeners.

The decision to delay the planned April 25 implementation
of the change followed by a week the detonation of two bombs at
the Boston Marathon, killing three people and wounding more 200.

“Last week’s events in Boston underscore our continued
focus on explosive devices,” Pistole said in the note to agency
workers. “Transportation-security officer training will
continue to emphasize these and other evolving threats.”

Pistole said he met yesterday with an advisory committee of
industry representatives, which includes flight attendants,
pilots, airlines and other parties affected by the policy. The
decision to “temporarily delay” changes to the prohibited-items list was made to incorporate suggestions and continue the
necessary training, he said.

Airline Opposition

The agency had said that it intended to ease restrictions
of carry-on items, including knives less than 2.36 inches (6
centimeters) long, hockey sticks and golf clubs, to match U.S.
rules with those in other parts of the world.

Appearing at a March 14 hearing of the Transportation
Security subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives,
Pistole defended the new policy and the process that led to it,
saying it was necessary for the agency to revise procedures as
threats change. He also told lawmakers that responsibility to
control passengers rested with the airlines, not the agency.

Legislative Backlash

Pistole drew some key support from House Republicans
including Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul of
Texas. A larger group of lawmakers from both parties, including
Senators Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Lisa
Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, said they would support
legislation to keep knives off planes.

The delay came “in the face of a huge backlash” from
opponents, the Flight Attendants Union Coalition, an umbrella
group representing more than 90,000 airline employees, said in
an e-mailed statement. The agency should follow regular rule-making procedures and analyze comments from the public, it said.

Referring to the “Boston terrorist bombing,” the
coalition said in its statement that “now is not the time to
weaken security and let down our guard.”

“We have no doubt that the administrator will conclude that
knives have no place on our planes,” the group said.